Three Pomona district high schools closer to having new fields

POMONA -- By the start of the 2013 high school football season, students and fans at Diamond Ranch, Garey and Pomona high schools will have modest but improved athletic facilities that will allow them to host home games.

Pomona Unified's school board recently adopted environmental impact documents for each of the projects.

Board members also awarded a bid for the $12.1 million project to Park West Sports Systems, Inc. of Rancho Santa Margarita.

The board also authorized Leslie Barnes, the district's assistant superintendent for business services and chief financial officer, to sign necessary documents associated with the project, according to a district staff report.

"This is something we've been working on for so long," said school board member Adrienne Konigar-Macklin, who was school board president in 2011 when she proposed pursuing the field improvements.

The field improvements will require some adjustments, such as students who play spring sports having to train on different parts of their campuses or train at middle schools, Superintendent Richard Martinez said.

Arrangements will also be made to accommodate meets and other competitions.

Pomona Unified representatives will speak with administrators of neighboring colleges such as Mt. San Antonio College and the University of La Verne to see if the district can use their athletic facilities when the affected high schools are set to host competitive event, Martinez said.

The district has been working since fall 2011 to bring modest football stadiums to Pomona, Garey and Diamond Ranch high schools.

District representatives recently ran into problems linked to the placement of bleachers and concrete work for visitor seating at the Diamond Ranch High field.

Plans called for building seating along the northern edge of the field where concrete structures already exist.

School district personnel later learned the weight of additional concrete needed to build seating and the weight of audiences could damage the existing concrete work.

Modifications to the seating plans were made, and, in early March, the state Department of General Services Division of the State Architect granted its approval.

The state agency oversees the design and construction of K-12 schools and community colleges.

The modification are expected to allow fans to have improved views of the fields.

All three of the high schools will have improved fields and tracks, lighting and scoreboards by fall as part of the first phase of a two-phase plan.

Restrooms and snack bars will be added as part of a second phase set to be completed by the start of the 2014 football season.

Barnes said the deadline for completing the project will begin soon.

The improvements will be paid for using bonds from the 2008 voter approved Measure PS.